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Military Dogs Honored For Service

It’s about time that military dogs be recognized for their devotion and sacrifices! Thanks to The Arizona Republic for this article!

Veterans Day parade to show military dogs

Beth Duckett
The Arizona Republic
CENTRAL PHOENIX – Military dogs will play a major role in Veterans Day Parade on Nov. 11 in Phoenix.

That parade will be at 11 a.m. that day and will run north on Seventh Street from Montecito Avenue and west to the North Phoenix Baptist Church on Central Avenue.

A German shepherd named Tessa will lead volunteers and military working dogs in the parade, an event that last year drew 200,000.

The dogs will represent the 100,000 canines who have served in the military over the decades doing such things as tracking enemies, guarding base camps and sniffing out mines.

Jim Frost, a Phoenix resident and Army veteran, was the brain behind the parade entry, called “Salute to the Military Working Dog.” It began when Frost joined forces with the Grand Canyon German Shepherd Club and others in 2000 to bring the procession to life.

“We won’t forget what these dogs did,” said Frost. “Out of 4,000 dogs, 281 dogs were killed in action in Vietnam.”

Lackland Air Force Base in Texas provides canine training for all branches of the U.S. armed forces. It graduates about 400 working dogs and 500 handlers annually.